Back in 2023, I had no clue what Granblue Fantasy was. The gacha sensation that swept through Japan was mostly unknown here in North America up until the release of Granblue Fantasy Versus in 2020. The reveal of developer Cygames’ first major original home console game, Granblue Fantasy: Relink, grabbed my eye, and I kept up to date on the development of the game as time went by. I made sure to pick it up as soon as it was released, and I’m glad I did, as it turned out to be my favorite game of 2024. The game looked incredible, had an amazing orchestral soundtrack and an intriguing enough story, but it was the gameplay that I was the most impressed with. Intense hack-and-slash action ran through the game’s core and brought me back to the days of playing similar-feeling games on my PlayStation 2. Needless to say, I burst with excitement when I saw the reveal of Endless Ragnarok.
Endless Ragnarok, a major DLC expansion to the base game of Relink, seemed to be more of that action that I was looking for. What originally looked like some new multiplayer features and missions turned into something much more as each new addition was revealed. Brand new playable characters, summons, and the mysterious-sounding single-player realm called The Conflux kept me guessing. Endless Ragnarok transformed into something much bigger than originally thought, and after playing the expansion for myself, even I couldn’t have expected just how grand it would be. New additions to the game weave themselves in naturally as quality-of-life improvements and new plot details flesh out this already wonderful experience.
Awakening
Endless Ragnarok’s content can be accessed as early as the first few chapters of the base game. One of the big features of this new DLC is the many brand new playable characters that have been added to the game. The great thing is that they aren’t unlocked behind arbitrary conditions; you can enjoy the new gameplay styles and abilities as soon as you can buy them.
We’ve already talked about newcomer Beatrix before, a true hack and slasher who can cut enemies down in a flash while utilizing her unique Delta Clock buffing trait. Another new character, the sharpshooter Eustace, can utilize his rifle to provide long-range support for the team with powerful charged shots. Each of the new characters stands distinct among the established cast and gives returning players a fresh change while they go up against Zegagrande’s fiercest monsters. As the main plot continues, you’ll then be able to go into a new mode for the game: The Conflux.
The Conflux is a new roguelite mode that contains a wealth of small challenges you’ll be able to go through as you fight to complete a cycle of an endless loop. For players who are looking to get some leveling done, this is absolutely the place to go, as the Conflux provides a great opportunity to level up as you complete its cycles that progressively get harder. Auras are presented at the end of each round and give you a boost to your stats. Like boons in Hades or items in The Binding of Isaac, getting lucky with multiple three-star auras is the key to making your life a whole lot easier in the Conflux, but you can definitely make it through these fights with enough skill. There are also dexterity challenges that you can partake in which definitely switch up the pace. Finding what’s wrong in a scene or having to catch a skittish slime jar are just some of these dexterity challenges, and they can be a hilarious break in between some intense fights. By the end of a cycle, you’ll be able to see all the different loot you’ve obtained, see all the different auras added to your database, and get a completion bonus of materials for weapon upgrades.
From my perspective, the Conflux feels like a great way to get players up to speed for the challenges that await them in the rest of Endless Ragnarok. While roguelite modes are still a very trendy addition to many games, I think it works very well for Relink. It gives players engaging gameplay to cover the fact that, at the end of the day, what they’re essentially doing is grinding. Instead of having to go to the same level that has the maximum amount of XP that you can get hundreds of times, you can fly through a few runs of the conflux and have fun trying to beat your best score. For so many RPGs, grinding can be a necessary evil, but Relink has found a great way to make it fun. You’ll definitely need the levels and best equipment possible for what’s to come.
Challenging Gods
After you complete the main story of Relink, the bulk of Endless Ragnarok’s content becomes available to you. The harder cycles of the Conflux can be challenged, but you’ll also get an invitation from two of the eternals, Seofon and Tweyen, to help them figure out what’s been happening to the monsters around Zegagrande. Ragnalia, as they’ve been named, pose a threat to life as we know it on the sky islands, and it’s up to us to uncover their secrets. A much greater plot unravels soon after as new villains rise up, and an unusual link to the Conflux is discovered. This post-game story isn’t anything to scoff at: you’re getting a whole new multi-hour campaign with the addition of Endless Ragnarok. If you loved what you got with the campaign of Relink, you’re going to love Endless Ragnarok. The same high stakes, high emotion, and world-building are here in droves. That doesn’t mean things are perfect.
Endless Ragnarok can sometimes fall into the same pitfalls Relink does; introducing new concepts with wild ambition but barely giving you enough time to process them before moving on to another new idea. It’s a bit of a shame since this expansion wouldn’t have had to deal with one of the main issues of Relink’s narrative: the rushed explanations and context required from the mobile game. Being set after the events of the main game should’ve allowed for a lot more fleshing out of already established characters, but that is quickly pushed aside for the thrills of a new adventure. It’s not bad per se, but it’s hard not to see the potential that could’ve been had.
Missions to further this story are quickly unlocked, which let you partake in the brand new Chaos tier of quests. These missions are not for the faint of heart, as they can quickly humble even the most skilled of players. They are hard, and definitely reinforce the feeling that the Conflux was partially meant for level and material grinding. You don’t have to go at it alone, as most missions can be completed using multiplayer and its all-new crossplay features. Cross-platform play between PlayStation, PC, and Switch feels like it’s only relegated to free-to-play or sports games, but Endless Ragnarok shows just how seamless it could be. Utilizing an in-game account system, you can easily join with your friends to take on the hardest missions, regardless of platform. It’s honestly quite crazy just how well it works, with no real stuttering or slowdown from what I played.
Another new feature added with these chaos missions is playable summons. Lyria’s ability to summon primal beasts is well known, but we didn’t have the ability to utilize this feature in-game until now. Summons were one of my favorite new additions, and with these harder missions they feel surprisingly balanced. Don’t get me wrong, they still feel like an absolute power fantasy as you bash into foes as towering demi-gods, but you’re not gonna be taking out half of a boss’s health bar anytime soon. Your skill is going to be the thing to take these bosses down.
One of the most important parts of this expansion is unlocked around this time as well, that being the ability to grant your characters master traits. Getting your favourite to level 100 is a feat in it of itself, but progression past that can become a bit stagnant. The only real progression you have is awakening and upgrading weapons, and building your character with sigils. Master traits are a great way to keep those original characters relevant with powerful new buffs and upgrades. Take Gran, for example; you can upgrade his “Artfully Adept” mastery, which can boost attack and the damage cap based on your arts level, or you could upgrade the “Combat Healer” mastery, which raises your attack and damage cap whenever you cast healing magic. Whatever your playstyle entails, masteries ensure that your favourite characters will still be powerful even when there are so many new characters to unlock.
Fatebreaker
Endless Ragnarok is so packed with new content that it almost feels like a sequel at times. There’s something for every type of player inside, and every Relink player can find a reason to return to the skies. From the new narrative to the new characters and the Conflux, Endless Ragnarok proves that Cygames can deliver new content at the same high level as before. As a whole package, this is the best time for new people to jump into the world of Relink, as it provides two whole story experiences as well as hours of content to go through. For returning players, there’s so much new content to go through that reinvigorates that core experience into something fresh that it will definitely justify a return. The added crossplay multiplayer can bridge the gap between platforms and skill levels, so regardless of where you are in your journey, you can have fun roaming Zegagrande together.
Granblue Fantasy: Relink made me a fan of Granblue, and also introduced me to the world of Cygames. I started playing the original Granblue because of Relink. I learned about Umamusume because of Relink. Relink feels like such a great showcase of the potential Cygames has for making high-quality console games, and Endless Ragnarok really cements that fact. Granblue has such an amazing world, and after playing both Relink and Endless Ragnarok, as well as getting unreasonably addicted to the original game, I’ve really fallen in love with the tales from the skydom. There’s so much more room for adventures with this cast of characters, and there are so many great stories from the main game that could be adapted into a game like Relink. I really hope Cygames dives back into the world of Granblue in the future to bring us another amazing RPG, or possibly creates an original project for consoles! Who knows what the future could awaken…
Disclaimer: Cygames provided a PC (Steam) copy of Granblue Fantasy: Relink – Endless Ragnarok for review purposes.
